Panjis or Panji Prabandh are extensive

genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

records maintained among the

Maithil Kayasthas and Maithil Brahmin Maithils (Tirhuta: মৈথিল, Devanagari: मैथिल), also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the M ...

s of the

Mithila Mithila may refer to: Places * Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state ** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha * Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal ...

region similar to the

Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar Genealogy registers, of families, maintained by Brahmin Pandits locally called as ‘Pandas’, who double up as professional genealogists, at Haridwar, has been a subject of study for many years now.Maithil Kayasthas and Maithil Brahmin Maithils (Tirhuta: মৈথিল, Devanagari: मैथिल), also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the M ...

delegates assembled in a conference to deliberate upon new marriage alliances duly checked with the respective {{transl, hi, panjikars at a place near Madhubani of India called as Saurath. the conference itself was called

Saurath Sabha Saurath Sabha is a historical village situated approximately 6 km northeast of Madhubani in the Madhubani District of Bihar, India. It is famous for its annual gathering of thousands of Maithil Brahman to match couples during the Hindu ...

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Current status

Due to progressive loss of Panjis, Panjikars taking up modern professions and increasing cosmopolitan behaviour, the practice of fixation of marriage by consulting Panjis is dying. There have been cases reported of sale of Panjis to foreign agencie

The recent Saurath sabhas are all but deserte

Increasingly, people are looking forward to more modern methods of match making like internet, rather than centuries old palm leaves.

Books on Panji System

Maithili Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan ''Maithil Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan'' (''A Survey of the Panji of the Karan Kayasthas of Mithila'') is a book written by Binod Bihari Verma in Maithili. It is a research study on the available ancient manuscripts in the Mithila region ...

, by

Binod Bihari Verma Binod Bihari Verma (1937–2003) was a Maithili writer and military doctor. He is known for ''Maithili Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan'', his work on ancient genealogical charts known as Panjis, as well as his depiction of rural poor of the ...

*Maithil Brāhamano ki Pañji Vyavasthā (Hindi), by Pt Ramānāth Jhā, published by Granthālaya, Darbhangā. *Genome Mapping- 450 AD to 2009 AD- Mithilak Panji Prabandh, by

Gajendra Thakur Gajendra Thakur (born 1971) is an Indian author. He writes in the Maithili language, a language spoken in Northern Bihar (of India) and South-Eastern Nepal. He is an author, lexicographer, historian (of Mithila- ancient Videha and of ''Maithili ...

, published by Shruti Publication, 2009 Delhi ISBN No.978-81-907729-6-9 *Panji System in Maithil Karna Kayastha: A Sociological Evaluation, y: Dr. Binod Kumar Karna.

References

External links

Bihar government site about Mithila including PanjikarsTimes Of India article on Brahmins PanjisJSTOR article on the usage of Panjis on Mithila and BengalTimes of India article on Saurath Sabha in MadhubaniKinship ritual and visual imagery in Mithila
Culture of Mithila Family registers Social history of India Indian genealogy